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Timeline: A Rundown Of The NFL, Tom Brady ‘Deflategate’ Saga

July 15, 2016 at 2:54 pm

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The scandal that has come to be known as “Deflategate” began with a simple tweet citing a league investigation into the footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship. It is now stretching into its third season, with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady scheduled to sit out the first four games of 2016.

Feb. 1: President Barack Obama notes the 45-7 score of the AFC title game and says the Patriots would have won “regardless of what the footballs looked like” but also said: “I think that if you break the rules then you break the rules.”

April 23: Obama welcomes Patriots to White House. Joking about the distractions they faced, he said: “That whole story got blown a little out of proportion.”

May 6: Wells Report is published . Investigation finds 11 of 12 footballs provided by Patriots were under the league’s required minimum air pressure — most slightly but one more than 2 pounds per square inch underinflated. It also cited a text message from low-level team staffer calling himself “the Deflator” and called Brady’s explanations “implausible.” Wells concluded it was “more probable than not” that the Patriots intentionally deflated footballs, and that Brady was “at least generally aware” of the illegal scheme.

July 30: Training camp opens with thousands of fans coming out to support Brady, who is allowed to practice with the team and play in exhibition games despite the pending suspension. An airplane buzzed the practice field towing a banner that said: “Cheaters Look Up!” The online gambling site Bovada dropped the Patriots odds of winning the Super Bowl from 9-1 to 12-1.

Aug. 11-13: Brady and Goodell appear in federal district court as Judge Richard Berman tells them to negotiate a solution. Courtroom artist Jane Rosenberg faces cyberbullying after her gaunt depiction of Brady is compared to the figure in Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream.”

Aug. 18: On the eve of their court hearing, Brady and Goodell meet for four hours but cannot agree on a settlement.

Aug. 19: At oral arguments in Berman’s court, the judge warns NFL lawyers that the suspension is in jeopardy.

Sept. 9: Berman releases copies of letters written to him about Deflategate . A Nevada teacher writes: “despite the absurdity you, an esteemed Federal Judge, needs to supervise these juvenile adults.”

Sept. 10: With Brady at quarterback, the Patriots open the 2015 season by beating Pittsburgh 28-21. Before the game, the Patriots unveiled their championship banner. Attorney Jeffrey Kessler attends the game and is given a hero’s welcome by Patriots fans. Goodell is mocked in abstentia. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wonders aloud whether the Patriots had anything to do with problems with the headsets the coaches use to communicate during games.

Sept. 17: The NFL submits 200-page filing, asking the 2nd U.S. District Court of Appeals to reverse Berman’s decision.

Jan. 24, 2016: The Denver Broncos beat New England 20-18 in the 2016 AFC Championship game, concluding a second Patriots season since the start of the scandal.

Feb. 29: Brady restructures his contract, turning much of his salary into a bonus that is paid regardless of whether the suspension is upheld. The move would save him $1.5 million .

March 3: Oral arguments before the 2nd Circuit . NFL attorney Paul Clement spoke for both sides, and NFL fans alike: “It would be an awful shame if this issue has to be hanging over the league for another whole season,” he said. “End this right now.”

April 6: A group of Patriots fans sues in federal court, accusing the NFL of common law fraud , negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and racketeering and asking for the draft picks to be returned. Kraft is also named in the suit, which says he “chose his fellow billionaire owners above the plaintiffs and fellow fans.”

May 25: The New England Patriots file a brief in support of Brady . It’s the first time the team has broken with the league in the case, and the first time an NFL team has opposed the league in court since Al Davis sued over the right to move the Raiders. A week later, the AFL-CIO weighs in on the case as well.

June 1: Minor-league baseball teams in New England and Buffalo, home of the Patriots’ AFC East rival, schedule dueling Deflategate promotions . The Pawtucket Red Sox offer free admission to fans named “Tom” or “Brady”; at “Keep Brady Suspended” night in Buffalo, fans bringing a properly inflated football get two tickets for the price of one.